Big Daddy (1999)

   
A kinder, gentler Adam Sandler?  The third sure thing of the sum-
mer, next to THE PHANTOM MENACE and THE SPY WHO SHAGGED ME, is a 
hilarious-less, strangely sentimental, crude-humored light drama 
about a one-day-a-week-working New York toll-taker who gets handed 
a little boy to take care of.  The yuks in this one play pretty 
much as expected:  Adam as a big kid; Adam as a big kid acting 
like a parent; Adam as a parent trying to act like an adult; etc.  
There's also breast references by the double dozen, an out-of-no-
where gay tolerance subtext/target-audience mindf***, fellow Sat-
urday Night vet Rob Schneider with a wacky Middle Eastern accent, 
Steve Buscemi in a couple scenes as a homeless ex-hippie, and yet 
another platter-full of Eighties music.  (Two of the main charac-
ters are sticklers for Styx.)  Say what you will about Sandler's 
style and choice of material; his assured screen presence is unde-
niable.  The comic's co-stars, twins Cole and Dylan Sprouse, make 
for a fine single foil as well.  I don't know if you'll laugh and 
I doubt that you'll cry.  But then again, I'm one of those types 
labeled by the film as a "cynical a**hole."   With Joey Lauren 
Adams, Leslie Mann, Jon Stewart, and Kristy Swanson.  Dennis Dugan 
(BEVERLY HILLS NINJA, HAPPY GILMORE) directs and Teddy Castellucci 
provided the slapdash production design.  What, we're to believe 
his law-practicing roomie actually *lives* there?  (Rated "PG-13"/
~90 min.)

Grade: C

Copyright 1999 Michael J. Legeros
Movie Hell is a trademark of Michael J. Legeros    

Originally posted to triangle.movies as MOVIE HELL: June 27, 1999